Page
Float B
to the Ordinance.
inter alia, "to
Her Heirs and
officer".
Under this oath the officer swears,
well and faithfully serve Her Majesty and
Successors according to law as a police
This is commonly referred to by the police as
the "loyal oath" or "oath of allegiance".
The Problem
3.
A number of Police Officers contend that because
they have taken an oath to serve the Queen, they cannot
serve the SAR Government after 1997 and thus they should be granted early retirement with compensation or abolition of
office
further contend that even though the
oath of office may cease to exist in 1997 it is still
terms.
They
binding on those who have taken it.
4.
In responding to
Superintendents
a letter from the Police
Association to Mr Francis Maude it was
proposed to deal with this
Officers
point by stating that Police
would be released from their oath in 1997. The
will be seen from (5),
be
correspondence on this issue is at (2) to (7). However, as
the FCO Legal Advisers have said
that they were unaware of any means by which an officer can
released from an oath of allegiance. As you will see,
this advice was given against the background of confusion
over the terminology being used the Police refer to the oath of office as an oath of allegiance.